6 Ways to Build your Wholesale Brand on Facebook

As B2B marketers start to embrace social media, we share with you 6 ways to use Facebook, to benefit your wholesale business.

The days when B2B marketers snubbed Facebook and Twitter are long gone. In fact, social media marketing is not at all a new trend among the world of wholesale. According to a 2014 study by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, social media is the number one content marketing tactic used by B2B marketers.

What’s more, 81% of these professionals are using Facebook to attract new leads and retain old and new customers. It is more than clear that Facebook is turning into a key tool for B2B marketers and wholesales everywhere.

Why Facebook is Integral to your B2B Marketing Strategy

There are many reasons why B2B marketers should strive to have a solid presence on Facebook. Here are the two most important ones:

Brand Building & Reputation

Not being on Facebook means that you’re missing out on being present in the largest social media network in the world. In other words, you are disregarding one of the most effective ways to position your brand in your market. Also, Facebook is the channel with which B2B decision-makers are most comfortable when researching product-oriented information. At least, it seems so according to UK-based firms Hotwire & VansonBourne. In their 2016 joint study, 24% of B2B decision-makers cited Facebook as a their “social network of choice” for this type of research.

Lead Generation & Targeted Advertising

With 1.55 billion users on Facebook, your audience is most likely to be reached through this channel. This, of course, means that is is great tool for lead generation – and it’s free! Even more, if you’re willing to put your hand in your pocket, the famous social network has developed a great ad platform to help marketers reach potential prospects.

6 Things you Should Consider Sharing on Facebook

You may be convinced that Facebook should become part of your marketing mix. You may not yet be set on what type of content you could use so as to connect with existing customers and create relationships with potential prospects. Bellow you will find 6 ways to use Facebook to your (and your business’s) advantage!

#1. Display your goods

Facebook is mainly a visual social network. In fact, posts containing images get almost 2.3 times more engagement than the ones containing links. This means that the “king” of social networks is the perfect channel for you to share photos of your products for existing and prospective clients to see. It can also be a great medium for you to announce and display new or expected arrivals to your B2B online store. And you can even showcase your products as seen in retailer stores around your city, your country, and –even – the world!

#2. Make an offer (no one can refuse)

Are you offering special discounts for certain products or product categories? Post it on Facebook! This is the fastest way to let your clients know about it.

Also, the platform’s ads allow you to reach potential customers by tailoring your promotions to target your audience in terms of demographics, industry, location, etc. In this respect, you can segment your database into certain demographics and promote your offers to different buyer personas. For example, let’s say you want to promote two different offers in two different product categories. Through Facebook ads, you can easily split your database so that one-half of your target audience receives news about one offer and the other half receives the other offer.

#3. Show off your customers

You may have landed a new retailer – why not share this with your network? Whether your new client is a big or a small fish, nothing says more about your brand than a continuously growing list of clients. So get on Facebook and put the word of your new collaborations out there for the (wholesale) world to see!

#4. Got a spot on a new market

Have you recently opened your digital store to a new country? Share it on Facebook! Here’s why you should consider doing so: first off, your brand’s reputability will increase among your existing clients. Why? This is a testament to your business’s reach and growth. Also, this type of news is a great vehicle for lead generation; through it, you will be able to connect with prospects active in the new market you have just started doing business in.

#5. Announce your… homecoming

Facebook is a great way to let your customers and potential clients know if you’re going to be part of a trade show happening in their city or country. Invite them to come by your booth for a meeting in-person. Why? Event marketing is a great way to foster personal relationship with your existing customers, give value to your prospects, and then leverage it. And Facebook is one of the most cost-efficient and easy ways to let them know about upcoming events you’re going to be showing up for.

#6. Share your media exposure

Traditional media and press coverage remains important with B2B decision-makers. In fact, according to Hotwire & VansonBourne’s survey, the majority of decision-makers report that press coverage in favored publications contributed to them short-listing vendors. What’s more, social media is most influential in the early stages of B2B vendor identification and shortlisting. This means that sharing the media exposure and press coverage you have received on Facebook, may actually get you closer to sealing a new deal with a prospect.

Eventually, Facebook marketing for B2B companies is all about building solid, long-term, and meaningful relationships with buyers. All you need is to sow your seeds smart and you will soon be reaping major benefits.

B2B Wave is a user-friendly software that allows B2B wholesale distributors and manufacturers to easily set up their ecommerce platform, accept orders online, communicate with their customers and boost their sales.